BBC SPORT | WORLD CUP 2002 | Owen named England captain Tuesday, 16 April, 2002, 11:05 GMT 12:05 UK Owen named England captain Agree or disagree with Sven? E-mail us here Michael Owen has admitted his appointment as England captain for the friendly with Paraguay came as a "complete surprise". The Liverpool striker got the nod from coach Sven-Goran Eriksson to deputise for the injured David Beckham in England's last friendly on home soil before the World Cup. Owen will lead out his country at his home ground, Anfield, on Wednesday. I'm not expecting to be captain during the World Cup Michael Owen He said: "When the manager told me it was a complete surprise, but a pleasant one. "I was straight on the phone to my mother and father, it was a very proud moment for my family." Owen becomes the second youngest England captain after Bobby Moore, who led his nation at a slightly younger 22. But he is under no illusions that he may not wear the armband for long.

Eriksson stressed that Beckham remains his number one choice and Owen is also aware that the likes of Rio Ferdinand and Sol Campbell - both ruled out of the Paraguay friendly - will have stronger claims. "Everyone knows David is captain," said the Liverpool striker. Michael Owen 1979: Born 14 Dec in Chester 1995: Breaks England U15 scoring record 1996: Leads Liverpool to FA Youth Cup, signs pro terms on 17th birthday 1997: Scores on first-team debut 1998: Becomes youngest England cap in 20th century, scores stunning goal v Argentina 2001: Scores hat-trick in 5-1 win v Germany, named Euro Footballer of the Year. 2002: Named stand-in England captain "We also have Rio Ferdinand and Sol Campbell in the squad and they're big candidates. "I'm not expecting to be captain during the World Cup. "I would jump at the chance but there are plenty of other names up to the job." Owen admitted he has harboured ambition to captain his country, adding: "I thought it might happen later in my career.

"To get it now is sooner than I imagined. "It completes it being at Anfield in front of my home fans. "To be captain there is a great honour." Eriksson is still pinning his hopes on Beckham recovering from a broken foot in time for the finals in Korea and Japan. The England coach said: "Michael Owen will be captain for this game and then we'll see when David Beckham is back. It's up to him to show that he's also a leader and I think he is Sven-Goran Eriksson "Hopefully it will be for one game, because that means that Beckham is back. "If Beckham is not back for the World Cup, which could happen, then I will think about it and see what we're going to do, if it's Michael or someone else in the squad." Eriksson added: "Michael was the best footballer in Europe last year and I think he's a very clean and popular one inside and outside England. "It's up to him to show that he's also a leader and I think he is." Owen's Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard said: "He's very happy, he's back at Anfield with the armband.

"He's had a bit of a hard time lately but he scored on Saturday and he's been made England captain which will give him a great boost for our last few games." WATCH/LISTEN England Football Online - Trivia Trivia We've collected these pieces of trivia from various sources over the years and we've tried to verify them where possible. But if you know better or more, please let us know. Players Age Youngest player Theo Walcott , Arsenal, replaced Rooney as England's youngest ever player on 30 May 2006 when he came on as a 65th minute substitute against Hungary at Old Trafford, Manchester. Walcott was 17 years and 75 days old. Wayne Rooney , Everton, was 17 years and 111 days old when he played against Australia on 12 February 2003. Rooney had finally ended a 124 year record, displacing James Prinsep of Clapham Rovers, who was only 17 years and 253 days old when he played against Scotland on 5 April 1879.

Rooney is the youngest player to start for England, when he did so against Turkey on 2 April 2003. He was 17 years and 160 days. Age Oldest player to appear Stanley Matthews, 42 years and 103 days old, against Denmark, 15 May 1957. Alec Morten has a disputed date of birth. He was 68 years old at the time of his death on 24 February 1900. Meaning he was born in either 1831 or 1832, making him 41 or 42 on 8 March 1873 against Scotland. Age Oldest player to make his debut Alec Morten has a disputed date of birth. He was 68 years old at the time of his death on 24 February 1900. Meaning he was born in either 1831 or 1832, making him 41 or 42 on 8 March 1873 against Scotland, one non-specific source says 41 years and 114 days old. Either way - the oldest debutant.

Leslie Compton was 38 years and 65 days old, in a 4-2 victory over Wales in Sunderland, November 15, 1950 Age Oldest opposition player Billy Meredith, 45 years and 229 days old, for Wales, 15 March 1920. Age Youngest opposition player Sam Johnston, was 15 years and 154 days old, for Ireland, 18 February 1881. If the source is correct, then Jaroslav Jirkovský was 16 years and 242 days when he played for the Slavia Praha side that represented Bohemia against England on 13 June 1908. The modern-day record lay with Salomon Olembe, who was 16 years and 342 days old, when playing for Cameroon on 15 November 1997. Blendi Nallbani, most definitely the youngest opposition goalkeeper at 17 years and 331 days, for Albania, 26 April 1989.

Age Youngest player to score Wayne Rooney , Everton, was 17 years and 317 days old when he scored in the 53rd minute against Macedonia on 6 September 2003. Age Youngest opposition player to score Wi llie Gibson , 17 years and 153 days old when he scored in a late Ireland equaliser, on 3 March 1894. It was the first time Ireland avoided defeat at the hands of England, albeit, some match reports say the ball went through the side. Jean Capelle, at 17 years and 202 days, scored for Belgium against England on 16 May 1931 in Brussels. Age Youngest debutant to score Marcus Rashford, Manchester United, having played just eighteen first team matches for his club, scored 138 seconds into his debut against Australia, 27 May 2016, at The Stadium of Light, Sunderland. He was 18 years and 209 days old.

Beating the previous record held by T ommy Lawton , Everton, was 19 years and 16 days old when he scored a penalty against Wales on 22 October 1938. Age Youngest player to score a penalty T ommy Lawton , Everton, was 19 years and 16 days old when he scored a penalty on his debut against Wales on 22 October 1938. Age Oldest player to score Stanley Matthews was 41 years and 248 days old when he scored for England in the 2nd minute against Northern Ireland on 10 October 1956. Age Oldest debutant to score Jimmy Moore was 34 years and 11 days old when he scored for England against Sweden on 21 May 1923. Bill Nicholson is the oldest post-war scoring debutant. He was 32 years and 113 days when he scored against Portugal on 19 May 1951.

Age Youngest Captain Bobby Moore was 22 years and 47 days when he captained England to a 4-2 win against Czechoslovakia in Bratislava on May 29, 1963. Tinsley Lindley was 22 years and 100 days old when he captained England against Wales in February 1888. After Bobby Moore, Michael Owen was 22 years and 125 days old when he captained England against Paraguay on 17 April 2002. Sol Campbell is by far the youngest Black Captain, he was 23 years and 254 days old when he led England out against Belgium, 29 May 1998. Gerry Francis was 23 years old and 272 days old when he captained England against Switzerland on 3 September 1975. Steven Gerrard was 23 years old and 307 days old when he took the armband for the first time in England's match against Sweden on 31 March 2004.

Wayne Rooney was 24 years and 22 days old when he captained England for the first time against Brazil in Qatar on 14 November 2009. Billy Wright was 24 years and 228 days when he gained the first of his ninety captaincies. Age Youngest Opposition Captain Olphie Stanfield, when he was only five days into his twentieth year, led his Ireland side out against England on 2 March 1889. James Fitzpatrick captained Ireland on his debut on 7 March 1896, he was 20 years old and 79 days. Aaron Ramsey, is most certainly the youngest post-war captain when he did so for Wales against England on 26 March 2011. He was 20 years and 90 days old, when Wales manager Gary Speed choose him to be the new national side's captain. Andreas Ivanschitz was 20 years and 325 days old when he captained Austria against England on 4 September 2005. Age Oldest Captain in the third place play-off of the 1990 World Cup.

Age Youngest player to play at a World Cup final tournament Michael Owen was 18 years and 183 days old when he made a substitute appearance against Tunisia in Marseille in the 1998 World Cup. He started the final group match against Colombia in Lens, aged 18 years and 194 days. Age Youngest player to score at a World Cup final tournament Michael Owen was 18 years and 190 days old when he scored against Romania in Toulouse in the 1998 World Cup. He broke the record set by Jimmy Greaves in the 1962 World Cup. Age Oldest player to score at a World Cup final tournament Tom Finney was 36 years old and 64 days old when he scored in the opening World Cup Finals match in 1958, against the USSR on 8 June 1958. He already held the record, aged 32 years old and 82 days when he scored England's final goal of the 1954 tournament against Uruguay on 26 June 1954.

Wilf Mannion, the scorer of England's second ever World Cup goal, was 32 years and 40 days old when he scored against Chile in the Maracana, on 25 June 1950. Ivor Broadis was 31 years and 181 days old when scored twice against Belgium on 17 June 1954. Jimmy Mullen was 31 years and 165 days old when he scored three days later against Switzerland. David Beckham, when he scored his free-kick against Ecuador, on 25 June 2006, was 31 years and 54 days. Matthew Upson, four years later, against Germany on 27 June 2010, was also 31 years old, and 68 days. Steven Gerrard had only just turned 30 years old when he scored against the USA at the beginning of the 2010 tournament. Age Youngest goalkeeper to play at a World Cup final tournament P aul Robinson was 26 years and 238 days old when he played against Paraguay in Frankfurt in the 2006 World Cup.

Age Youngest player on a World Cup final tournament squad Theo Walcott , 2006 World Cup finals, at the time of the first match, Walcott was 17 years and 87 days old. Age Oldest player to play at a World Cup final tournament Peter Shilton was 40 years and 293 days old when he played against Italy , as captain, in the third place play-off of the 1990 World Cup. Age Oldest player on a World Cup final tournament squad Peter Shilton, 1990 World Cup finals, at the time of the first match, Shilton was 40 years and 267 days old. Age Youngest player to play at a European Championship final tournament Marcus Rashford was a 73rd minute subsitute against Wales, the second group match of Euro 2016 in France, he was 18 years and 229 days, taking five days off the record previously held by Wayne Rooney , who was 18 years and 234 days old when he played against France in Portugal in the 2004 European Championship Finals.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had become the third eighteen year old to appear for England in a major tournament, following Rooney and previous to that, Michael Owen in the 1998 World Cup Finals, when he played against France in Donetsk in the 2012 European Championship Finals. He was 18 years and 301 days. Age Youngest player to score at a European Championship final tournament Wayne Rooney was 18 years and 237 days old when he scored twice against Switzerland in Portugal in the 2004 European Championship Finals. Age Youngest goalkeeper to play at a European Championship final tournament Joe Hart was 25 years and 53 days old when he played against France in Donetsk in the 2012 European Championship Finals.

Age Youngest player on a European Championship final tournament squad Marcus Rashford, who at the time of the first match in the 2016 European Championship Finals, against Russia, was 18 years and 224 days, to beat the previous record by ten days, held by Wayne Rooney , who during the 2004 European Championship Finals, at the time of the first match, was 18 years and 234 days. Age Oldest player to play at a European Championship final tournament Peter Shilton was 38 years and 272 days old when he played against Netherlands in Düsseldorf during Euro 88. It was his one hundredth cap. Age Oldest player to score at a European Championship final tournament Trevor Brooking was 31 years and 260 days old when he scored against Spain in Napoli during Euro 80, on 22 June 1980. Bryan Robson was 31 years and 156 days old when he scored Netherlands during the unsuccessful Euro 1988 tournament.

Age Oldest player on a European Championship final tournament squad Peter Shilton, 1988 European Championship finals, at the time of the first match, Shilton was 38 years and 8 months old. Jermain Defoe, 7 goals scored whilst a substitute, between 2007 and 2012. Peter Crouch scored his fifth substitute goal against France, November 2010. Substitute Most goals scored for England by substitutes Three, twice. Firstly in the City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester in a FA Summer Tournament match against Iceland, on 5 June 2004. Darius Vassell, twice, and Wayne Bridge scored after coming on as substitutes. Then, in San Marino Stadium, Serravalle, on 5 September 2015, Theo Walcott (twice) and Harry Kane, after alos coming on as substitutes. Substitute Most substitutes scoring against England Three, in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 17 August 2005. Three Danish substitutes, Dennis Rommedahl, Michael Gravgaard and Søren Larsen all scored in the 4-1 friendly demolition of England.

Substitute Most substitutions in a match All by Sven-Goran Eriksson BME Black and Minority Ethnic players Viv Anderson was the first BME player to appear for England. His first cap came in the 1-0 victory against Czechoslovakia at Wembley on 29 November 1978, when he played for Nottingham Forest. He later earned caps while playing for Arsenal and Manchester United. Although he was a member of both the 1982 and 1986 World Cup squads, his only appearance in the finals of a major tournament came in the 2-1 victory over Spain in the European Championship finals of 1980 in Italy. Altogether he made 30 England appearances spread over a 10-season international career that came to a close in the 1-1 Rous Cup draw with Colombia at Wembley on May 24, 1988. Recently he served as assistant manager at Middlesbrough under his former England teammate and captain Bryan Robson, Anderson was awarded an MBE in the Queen's New Year's Honours List published 31 December 1999.

Laurie Cunningham made his England debut later the same season in the goalless draw with Wales at Wembley on 23 May 1979. Cyrille Regis first appeared for England as a substitute in the 4-0 victory over Northern Ireland at Wembley on 23 February 1982. Luther Blissett got his first cap as a substitute in the 2-1 loss to West Germany at Wembley on 13 October 1982. Clubs Players from Clubs in the Second Level Division Plenty of Second Level players have played for England .

In the last 20 years, the following have all achieved this feat: Gary Pallister (Middlesbrough), Steve Bull (Wolverhampton Wanderers), David Hirst (Sheffield Wednesday), Earl Barrett (Oldham Athletic), Stuart Pearce (Nottingham Forest), Paul Merson and Paul Gascoigne (both Middlesbrough), Michael Gray and Kevin Phillips (both Sunderland), Richard Wright (Ipswich Town), David James (West Ham United), David Nugent (Preston North End), Jay Bothroyd (Cardiff City), Rob Green (West Ham United), Jack Butland (Birmingham City), Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace) and Tom Heaton (Burnley). All of these, with the exception of Bull, James, Nugent and Butland played for clubs which were promoted at the end of the relevant season.

Clubs Players from Clubs Outside the Two Top Divisions Jack Fort (Millwall, 1921), Ernie Simms (Luton Town, 1921), Fred Titmuss and Bill Rawlings (both Southampton, 1922), Seth Plum and Harold Miller (both Charlton Athletic, 1923), Tommy Cook (Brighton & Hove Albion, 1925), Len Graham and Fred Fox (both Millwall, 1925), George Armitage (Charlton Athletic, 1925), Dick Hill (Millwall, 1926), Len Oliver and Albert Barrett (both Fulham, 1929), Joe Payne (Luton Town, 1937), Tommy Lawton (Notts County, 1947), Reg Matthews (Coventry City, 1956), Johnny Byrne (Crystal Palace, 1961), Peter Taylor (Crystal Palace, 1976) and Steve Bull (Wolverhampton Wanderers, 1989).

Clubs Players from Clubs Outside England (31) Joe Baker (Hibernian, 1959), Gerry Hitchens (Inter Milan, 1962), Kevin Keegan (Hamburg, 1977), David Watson (Werder Bremen, 1979), Tony Woodcock (FC Cologne, 1980), Laurie Cunningham (Real Madrid, 1980), Trevor Francis (Sampdoria, 1982), Luther Blissett (AC Milan, 1983), Ray Wilkins (AC Milan, 1984), Mark Hateley ( AC Milan, 1984, Monaco, 1987, Rangers, 1992), Terry Butcher and Chris Woods (Rangers, 1986), Gordon Cowans (Bari, 1986), Gary Lineker (Barcelona, 1986), Glenn Hoddle (Monaco, 1987), Gary Stevens ( Tallest player Both Peter Crouch and Fraser Forster stood at a proud 6ft. 7in.. Zat Knight stood at 6ft.

6in., and was England's tallest player for 45 minutes against USA, 28 May 2005. Crouch debuted in the next match against Colombia, 31 May 2005. "At 6ft 6in 'Fatty' is the tallest footballer to have represented England. Although regarded as a freak show by many, Foulke was agile for his size and an expert penalty stopper. In the early 1900s, keepers didn't have to stay on the line for penalties, so as a kick was taken Foulke and his enormous bulk charged towards the penalty spot, putting opponents off." Fat Sportsmen, The Observer Sport Monthly, 6 January 2002. It must be noted that Foulke standing at 6'6 is without source. Whereas most official sources attribute him less standing at 6ft. 4in.. Billy Gunn (1884) and Joe Corrigan (1976-82) both stood at 6ft. 4ins. Characteristics Managers Players who played under most managers/coaches Gareth Barry had played under eight managers.

Beginning in 2000, Kevin Keegan, Howard Wilkinson, Peter Taylor, Sven-Göran Eriksson, Steve McClaren, Fabio Capello, Stuart Pearce and Roy Hodgson. Managers Most managers per appearance Andrew Cole earned his first four caps under four different managers for an average of one manager per appearance. Cole made his debut against Uruguay under Terry Venables in 1995, appeared next against Italy under Glenn Hoddle at the Tournoi de France in 1997, made his third appearance against France under caretaker Howard Wilkinson in 1999 and finally earned his fourth cap against Poland under new manager Kevin Keegan in his first starting appearance a few weeks later. Team Captain Owen is Eriksson's surprise pick | Football | The Guardian Captain Owen is Eriksson's surprise pick Tuesday 16 April 2002 19.53 EDT First published on Tuesday 16 April 2002 19.53 EDT Share on Messenger Close As a youngster in Sweden Sven-Goran Eriksson was a keen ski jumper.

"It was great fun," he said yesterday, "but I was not brave enough to be very good." Nevertheless he is bold enough to take a leap into the unknown for tonight's World Cup warm-up against Paraguay, plucking Michael Owen off the junior slopes, age-wise if not football-wise, to make him the youngest England captain since Bobby Moore. Moore led England for the first time, against Czechoslovakia in Bratislava in May 1963, at 22 years 47 days. Owen will be 77 days older when he leads out Eriksson's team on his home ground at Anfield this evening. Owen gets this unexpected, some might say unfathomable, chance to show his qualities of leadership because David Beckham is out of England's World Cup preparations with a broken foot. And though Eriksson stressed yesterday that Owen was not yet being lined up as an alternative captain for Japan, the fact that he has been given the armband at all will add his name to the list of candidates. "In the present squad we have David Seaman, Gareth Southgate and Gary Neville who might also have been captain," said Eriksson. "Michael Owen could be one for the future.

"But this decision is only for this match. If David Beckham is not back for the World Cup we'll have to look at the situation then. For the moment I prefer not to talk in terms of Beckham not being fit. I'm assuming he will be able to play in our opening game against Sweden." Nevertheless the possibility of Owen wearing the armband when it really matters should not be ruled out, especially if his captaincy impresses Eriksson tonight. Clearly the England coach has spotted something in the young striker's make-up which puts him up for promotion. "He's a clean-cut, talented young player who, barring injury, will be in the England team for many, many years," Eriksson enthused. "Already he's a great footballer. I don't yet know whether he can be a great leader. That's up to him." Despite his youth Owen is already an experienced England international with 33 caps and 14 goals. He was only 18, remember, when he burst on to the global stage with that outstanding piece of individualism to score against Argentina in St Etienne in the 1998 World Cup.

And even then, in spite of the occasional impetuous tackle on the pitch, he was conducting himself off it with a maturity well beyond his years. "He has a lot of qualities to be a good captain," Eriksson observed. "He is a good picture, a good window - what do you say? - a good ambassador. "I'm not a moralist. I'm not saying that you have to go to church on Sunday mornings to be captain of England, certainly not. But if there has to be an ambassador for football, why not Owen?" Why not indeed, although far from ending the speculation about a likely alternative to Beckham as World Cup captain, the choice of Owen for tonight will intensify it. It is possible Eriksson intended giving Sol Campbell the armband until the Arsenal centre-back tore a hamstring on Sunday. Rio Ferdinand, another absentee tonight, has also been mentioned although at the moment being captain of Leeds United is rather like skippering a pirate ship. Gary Neville was the strongest bet because of his seniority and the fact that he is more likely than Southgate to be a regular choice in the World Cup.

Eriksson may have had another motive in making Owen captain for the last home friendly before they leave for the Far East, by which time he will have announced his squad. He wants to see more commitment tonight than some of his players showed in losing 2-1 to Italy three weeks ago and perhaps feels, with Owen leading the team as well as the attack, the missing spark will return. "I would like us to have the right attitude," the coach explained, "like we had building up for qualification. "It's not easy for the players at this time of season. There is a lot of pressure from their clubs. But this is the last game we play before we go to our training camp in Korea, so I would like to see a little bit of fire on the pitch, even if it is a friendly." Although Beckham, Ferdinand, Campbell and Emile Heskey are out tonight the availability of Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes, who both missed the Italy match, should leave England sounder amidships. A centre-back partnership of Southgate and Martin Keown, moreover, would hardly lack experience; between them they have won 86 caps.

Owen's captaincy apart, the principal interest will be the role and performance of Kieron Dyer, fit at last for England and now earmarked as an alternative to Beckham on the right. Unless, that is, Eriksson plays him on the left, which was his original intention, and replaces Beckham with Owen Hargreaves or Trevor Sinclair. Up front Robbie Fowler, who gave England their brief lead against Italy, will be reunited with Owen unless Eriksson decides to have an early look at Matt Jansen, who missed training yesterday with a stomach upset. But he surely needs to field as strong a team as possible for at least 45 minutes if this match is to have more meaning than its predecessor. Eriksson has persuaded Paraguay's coach Cesare Maldini to allow him to use up to 11 substitutes tonight. The Paraguayans had initially objected to any more than six. · The England squad have agreed terms over a £5m World Cup bonus package , worth up to £200,000 a man if they win the tournament. The injured captain David Beckham, a member of the four-man players' committee, attended yesterday's discussions.

England (possible, 4-4-2): Seaman (Arsenal); G Neville (Man U), Keown (Arsenal), Southgate (M'boro), Bridge (Soton); Hargreaves (B Munich), Gerrard (Liverpool), Scholes (Man U), Dyer (Newcastle); Owen (Liverpool), Fowler (Leeds). · You've read the piece, now have your say. Email your comments, as sharp or as stupid as you like, to the football.editor@guardianunlimited.co.uk . Owen is picked to captain England at 22 - Telegraph Owen is picked to captain England at 22 By Peter Foster and Nigel Bunyan 12:01AM BST 17 Apr 2002 MICHAEL OWEN will become the youngest England football captain since Bobby Moore after he was picked yesterday to lead the national side in the friendly match against Paraquay tonight at Anfield. The 22-year-old Liverpool striker was chosen by Sven-Goran Eriksson to stand in for David Beckham, the Manchester United midfielder who broke a bone in his foot last week .

Owen, who won his first England cap at the age of 18 , said: "It's obviously a great honour to be named captain. When the manager told me I was straight on the phone to mum and dad and friends and family. "It's something I've always dreamed of, to get it at 22 is sooner than I imagined. It's going to be a great occasion." Owen's father, Terry, a former professional footballer, said: "Our whole family is absolutely delighted. We are going to celebrate with a cup of tea." Related Articles England | Michael Owen Online Michael Owen Online Appearances: 89 / Goals: 40 England Michael, born in Chester, seemed destined for stardom after scoring an unprecedented 12 goals in eight games for the England Schoolboy (U15) team in 1995. A graduate of The FA National School at Lilleshall, he scored on his Premier League debut for Liverpool in May 1997 when he was 17 and was their top League scorer in 1997-98 with 18 strikes in 36 games.

In the same season he made his only appearance for England’s Under-21s against Greece at Norwich and Glenn Hoddle handed him his senior debut in a friendly against Chile at Wembley on 11 February 1998. At 18 years 59 days Michael was the youngest England player of the 20th century. He was a teenage sensation at the World Cup in France, scoring from close range against Romania and then spectacularly against Argentina after dribbling through their multi-layered defence. He became the youngest captain since Bobby Moore for the Paraguay friendly in April 2002 and the fourth player in history to reach 40 England goals in a EURO 2008 qualifier against Russia. He won The FA Cup, League Cup (twice) and UEFA Cup with Liverpool before spending the 2004-05 season with the Galacticos at Real Madrid.

Owen captain for a day | Football | The Guardian Owen captain for a day Liverpool striker joins Bobby Moore in becoming skipper at 22 Cap'n Mike Tuesday 16 April 2002 07.47 EDT First published on Tuesday 16 April 2002 07.47 EDT Share on Messenger Close Michael Owen will became the second youngest England captain of all time tomorrow, when the 22-year-old Liverpool striker leads his country out at Anfield for the friendly against Paraguay. Owen was this morning surprisingly anointed by Sven-Goran Eriksson in the absence of the injured David Beckham. So with only the legendary Bobby Moore captaining England at a younger age - against Czechoslovakia in 1963 when three months younger than Owen - a small place in history beckons. "It's a very proud moment and a complete surprise," said Owen. "It's a great honour. I wasn't expecting to be named captain.

To get it at 22 is a bit sooner than I imagined." Owen was quick to distance himself from comparisons with Moore, perhaps wisely considering the West Ham defender was honoured with the armband on his 12th appearance for England, compared to Owen's 34th. "I don't think I could ever be as good a captain as Bobby Moore," he shrugged. "I'm not expecting to be captain at the World Cup . Everyone knows David is captain. Also, Rio [Ferdinand] and Sol [Campbell] are both out injured, and they would be big candidates. "But I would jump at the chance if I was asked." Owen has little experience as a captain. "I captained Liverpool for five minutes," he laughed. "It was away in Valencia. Paul Ince and Steve McManaman were captain and vice-captain that day, but both were sent off. I sprinted across the touchline to get the armband. "Apart from that, the last time I was a captain I was 10 or 11." Owen, who insists he is "in good shape" for tomorrow's match, is pleased his debut as captain will be at his home ground.

"It completes it all that it will be in front of my own fans on a pitch I know," he said. "It will be easy to get to for my family as well, although they come to all my games. I was straight on the phone to my mum and dad." According to coach Eriksson, Owen was "surprised" upon being told the news, but was "positive for sure". He added: "He was the best footballer in Europe last year and I think he's a very clean and popular one inside and outside England. "It's up to him to show that he's also a leader and I think he is. "Michael Owen will be captain for the game tomorrow and then we'll see when David Beckham is back. Hopefully it will be for one game, because that means that Beckham is back. "If Beckham is not back for the World Cup, which could happen, then I will think about it and see what we're going to do, if it's Michael or someone else in the squad." England's Captains - Index Notes on the Captaincy The following notes are based on the knowledge that two captains in very early matches remain unknown.

England have been led by 118 captains in the 964 matches they have played since the first in 1872. The list is headed by the incomparable Billy Wright and Bobby Moore, who each led England 90 times, still a world record. Wright served as captain in 70 consecutive England matches during the 1950's, an almost unbelievable record that was eventually broken by Heinz Hermann of Switzerland (71 captaincies in a row 1982-89), and then Andoni Zubizaretta of Spain. A record that seemed unbreakable in an era in which the physical demands of the game are much higher and even the slightest injury keeps players costing millions of pounds out of action. Bryan Robson, who led England 65 times, David Beckham, Wright and Moore are the only players to lead England more than 40 times. Robson probably would have challenged the Wright/Moore record of 90 captaincies but for his relentlessly aggressive style of play, which led to several serious injuries reducing his international appearances.

The captaincy was not assigned to one player for an appreciable number of matches until professionalism began to take a grip on the national side in the 1880's and 1890's. Before that it was merely regarded as an honour with ceremonial attributes to be passed around to deserving players, a concept that continued to carry weight into the inter-war era when the Football Association's International Selection Committee continued to choose the lineups and the captain. Indeed, that notion has occasionally carried lingering force in modern times when players have been given the captaincy for a single match in recognition of long service or a milestone in career caps. Thus David Seaman was made captain for the match marking his 50th appearance, and Bobby Charlton led out the team for his 100th cap although the regular England captain at the time, Bobby Moore, was also in the lineup (albeit Charlton also captained England on two other occasions when Moore was absent). But in the post-Second World War era, the captaincy generally has been assigned by the manager/coach to a single player who remained in that role until until his international careers waned or ended or until a new manager/coach brought in a new captain.

In modern times, the manager/coach usually also picks a vice-captain, who leads the team when the regular captain is absent through injury or suspension. Michael Owen had led the team Sven-Göran Eriksson's first-choice captain, David Beckham, has been absent. In the Steve McClaren era, Steven Gerrard deputised for John Terry. As for the Capello era, Rio Ferdinand deputised for John Terry, that was until Rio himself became the National side's captain, to be deputised by Steven Gerrard. While the England captaincy still is regarded as a great honour and carries the traditional ceremonial aspects--leading the players onto the pitch, introducing the players to match dignitaries, exchanging emblems with the visiting team's captain, attending the referee's coin toss which settles direction of play and which team kicks off at the beginning of a match--it involves much more than that.

The captain is expected to exercise leadership both on and off the pitch--to serve as a public spokesman for the team, to provide a communication link between the players and the staff, and to take charge of the team during a match, rallying and inspiring the team when it is down, exercising a calming influence when tempers are frayed, encouraging young players inexperienced at international level, correcting errant players and the like. Still, England football captains generally do not have much influence on team selection, formation or tactical decisions, although some of them have gained their manager's ear by dint of a long working relationship, most notably Bobby Moore under Alf Ramsey. Only players who started a match as captain are recognised as official England captains. Players who took over the captain's armband during a match when the starting captain had to leave the pitch because of injury or, in modern times, because of substitution are not listed as captains in the Football Association's official records. In fact, it has said it does not even keep records of those temporary armband wearers. We know of numerous instances in which more than two players wore the captain's armband in the same match.

Most certianly the first occasion was the scoreless draw against Morocco at Estadio Tecnológico in Monterrey, Mexico on 6 June 1986. Bryan Robson of Manchester United was the starting captain in this World Cup final tournament match. He went off injured and the armband went to Ray Wilkins, then of AC Milan. Wilkins was sent off soon after, and Peter Shilton of Southampton FC then took the armband. The following occasion was the 2-1 friendly match against Serbia and Montenegro at Walkers Stadium in Leicester on 3 June 2003, when four players wore the captain's armband, including three Liverpool players. There was widespread dismay in the media and among some former England stars that three players deemed undeserving of the captaincy--Emile Heskey of Liverpool, Phil Neville of Manchester United and Jamie Carragher of Liverpool--were handed the captain's armband as a result of the spate of substitutions that followed the half-time retirement of Liverpool's Michael Owen, who had started the match as captain in the absence of regular captain David Beckham. Only Owen will be listed as captain in the official match records, however.

The three who took over the armband were merely its temporary custodians, and are not entitled to official recognition as England captains, and hence the outrage was somewhat over the top. Owen was the 104th official captain. He first led the side in three preparatory friendly matches just before World Cup 2002 while Beckham recovered from a broken foot. Owen captained England again in the season-opening friendly against Portugal on 7 September 2002, and in the pair of matches that ended the season, the friendly against Serbia and Montenegro on 3 June 2003 and the European Championship 2004 qualifier against Slovakia a week later. Steven Gerrard became the 105th official England captain on 31 March 2004, in a friendly celebrating Sweden's centenary. It was in the absence of regular first choice captain, David Beckham, and second-choice captain, Michael Owen, who were both injured and unfit for this match. John Terry was chosen by Steve McClaren as the 106th captain, following David Beckham's resignation, with Steve Gerrard on stand-by should Terry be unfit to play.

It was Steven Gerrard who became Fabio Capello's first captain in his first match in charge. Capello announced that John Terry too, would be his official captain in September 2008. Rio Ferdinand had already become England's 107th known official captain in Capello's search for a captain, Ferdinand in turn, became the vice-captain to Terry in the Capello era. It was on the middle-east heat, in the deserts of Qatar, that saw Wayne Rooney become the third youngest post-war captain, and the 108th known captain. John Terry had been ruled out of the Brazil friendly match in the night before the match and Rio Ferdinand and Steven Gerrard had already been excluded from the initial squad due to an injuries. David Beckham had withdrawn himself from the squad a week earlier due to club commitments. Capello saw Rooney as the next natural leader. Towards the end of 2009, the role of the Captaincy was under scrutiny after John Terry was named and shamed in the media regarding his off-the-field antics.

Although within the modern morality of society, this as hardly a sin of any proportion, but the fact the allegations concerned an England team-mate left his position as a national role model untenable. It was reasonable to suggest that no Manchester City player, the current club of Wayne Bridge, would ever see JT as their leader. That made Capello make a decision in the best interest of the national game, and vice-captain Rio Ferdinand, became England's next current captain. Steven Gerrard becoming the vice-Captain. A role that become vital throughout the 2010 World Cup Finals, where Gerrard took the armband as his own, with Frank Lampard becoming his vice. At the beginning of 2011, with both Ferdinand and Gerrard unavailable to take the armband through injury, Frank Lampard became England's 109th known different captain, against Denmark. In March the same year, in the match against Ghana at the new National Stadium, Gareth Barry became the 110th known England Captain, the 47th post-war. All of this catapulted Capello's decision-making process into the limelight.

The very fact that Capello reinstated John Terry in March 2011 to the captaincy position, without informing Ferdinand, but informing Gerrard, then three days later, handing the armband to Barry. The Captain's role is never an easy one, and neither is the decision to make it so. It was the Captain's armband that eventually cost Fabio Capello his position as England manager. The Football Association felt it necessary to strip John Terry of the captaincy for the second time in his career, as he awaited trial for alleged racism. Capello disagreed at some point, whether at his own non-involvement in the decision-making process, or with the decision itself, only a future auto-biography will tell. Up stepped Capello's number two, Stuart Pearce, who, despite the fitness of Steven Gerrard, chose an untested Scott Parker, winning only his eleventh appearance, in the match against the Netherlands in February 2012. Gerrard, however, was finally chosen as the national team captain after Roy Hodgson was appointed as England's thirteenth manager in May 2012. Hodgson also made Frank Lampard his vice-Captain.

However, in May 2013, the media's perception of the Captaincy was thrown into disarray when Hodgson announced that he would signify Ashley Cole's century of appearances for the national team by handing him the armband. The 49th post-war captaincy. The debacle was because that acknowledgement came on Cole's 102nd appearance, against the Republic of Ireland, and because Cole was only going to be taking the role of leading his country out of the Wembley Stadium player's tunnel. It was already decided that Lampard was to fulfill the normal off-field role of captain. Following the 2014 World Cup Finals, both Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard retired from international football, leaving the pathway open for the most experienced player on the field to take the armband. Step forward, Wayne Rooney. Gary Cahill was appointed as his vice-captain. After a full season with Rooney in charge, there were four different captains in the first five matches of 2015-16. Rooney in charge of the first two, then Gary Cahill earning his first honour, and the fiftieth to do so since the war, when Rooney was injured.

Then, on 12 October, when both an injured Rooney and a rested Cahill missed the match against Lithuania, the captaincy was handed to Phil Jagielka. The first Everton player to receive the honour. The following month, when Rooney and Cahill were rested against Spain, and Jagielka was injured, the job fell to the most experienced player on the pitch, Joe Hart. For the second match in 2016, against Netherlands. With Rooney and Hart injured, Cahill rested, it was left to the most experienced member of the squad to take the armband, step forward, James MIlner. The record was completed in the friendly match against Australia in May 2016. Not only had Hodgson now used a record six different Captains in one season, but he used nine since he became manager, equalling the number used by Ron Greenwood. When Sam Allardyce was appointed in July 2016, he re-appointed Rooney as his company a month later. After Allardyce was unceremoniously sacked, the under-21 manager, Gareth Southgate, took over the reigns on an interim basis.

He kept Rooney as his captain but dropped him for his second match against Slovenia. Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson slipping on the armband. _________________

Question: In April 2002, which footballer became the youngest England captain since Bobby Moore?
Answer: MICHAEL OWEN